John Merle Dickes

John Merle Dickes

Cedar Rapids

John Merle Dickes, 99, of Cedar Rapids, formerly of Sioux City, NE passed away peacefully on Wednesday, July 30, 2025.

Visitation will be held at Meyer Brothers Colonial Chapel in Sioux City on Sunday, August 10, 2025, from 3:00 P.M. – 5:00 P.M. Funeral Services will be held at 10:00 A.M. Monday, August 11, 2025, at the Cathedral of the Epiphany in Sioux City. Interment will follow at Calvary Cemetery. Pallbearers will be his grandchildren.

John was born on April 10, 1926, in Coleridge, NE, to John and Gladys (Link) Dickes. The family moved to Sioux City, where John graduated from Central High School while he was proudly serving his country in the United States Army during World War II. John was able to attain his diploma via correspondence coursework while in Germany. After returning from the war, he attended Sioux City School of Business and earned a 2-year degree.

On September 2, 1957, he was united in marriage to Darlene Ann Pottebaum at the Cathedral of the Epiphany in Sioux City. They were married for 60 years before her death in 2018. John lived the majority of his life in Sioux City, only recently moving to Cedar Rapids.

John was a truck driver and initially was employed by Texaco delivering gas to various stations. When the company moved operations to Omaha, he chose to keep the family in Sioux City and then drove for Crouse Cartage Company and Yellow Freight Lines, delivering freight to businesses in the Siouxland area. After retirement, he purchased a school bus and drove for the Catholic schools in Sioux City. He enjoyed flying, snowmobiling, camping, fishing, working on cars, dancing, and traveling.

Those left to cherish his memory include his four children: Suzanne (Mike) Dailey of Cheyenne, WY, Gary (Marilyn) Dickes of Kenosha, WI, Steve (Pat) Dickes of Cedar Rapids, IA, and Judy (Maurice) Mouchawar of Broomfield, CO; nine grandchildren: Michael (Samantha) Dailey, John Dailey, Jacob (Rose) Clearfield, Mandy (Chris) Germain, Katie Carlisle, Sarah Dickes, Jenny (Tucker) Reid, Thomas Mouchawar, and Molly Mouchawar; and seven great-grandchildren.

John was preceded in death by his parents, his wife, Darlene, a brother, Herbert Dickes, and three sisters: Loretta Parvu, Mildren Scott, and Evelyn Schooley.

The family would like to thank the nursing staffs at Stoney Point Meadows and The Views Senior Living of Marion along with the hospice staff at UnityPoint, St. Luke’s in Cedar Rapids, IA.